Technical Field
The present invention relates to a vehicle frame structure.
Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2014-073769 describes an invention relating to a vehicle body structure, part of which uses a high-strength steel plate. To explain simply, a center pillar is configured by three members, these being a center pillar inner panel, center pillar outer reinforcement, and a side outer panel, disposed in this sequence from. Each of the members is formed with a hat shaped cross-section, and the center pillar is formed with a closed cross-section structure by spot welding in a state in which flange portions of the three members overlap with each other. In this related art, a corrugated portion is also formed between welding portions of the flange portion of the center pillar outer reinforcement sandwiched between the center pillar inner panel and the side outer panel, running along the length direction of the flange portion. Concentration of stress at spot weld portions (in particular, heat affected portions surrounding the weld portions at which strength is liable to be lower than other locations due to the spot welding) is thereby alleviated, due to tensile load acting on the flange of the center pillar outer reinforcement in the length direction thereof, and the corrugated portion undergoing extension deformation during a side-on collision.